Steve Davis’s loyalty on a par with Dale Steyn

For loyalty to your profession, one can safely say that renowned international auctioneer Steve Davis and Proteas cricketer Dale Steyn have similar career profiles.

When Davis mounts the rostrum at the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales at Germiston on Wednesday, it will be his 19th appearance at the country’s most historic sale. He might say he just shades Steyn who made his Test debut for SA against England in 2004.

Despite advancing years, both gentlemen are still in demand in their respective sports — Davis on the worldwide auctioneering circuit and Steyn’s latest appearance was in an ODI in January.

The cricket link with the National Yearling Sale does not end there as one of Davis’s colleagues on the rostrum is Andrew Miller whose son, David, has emerged as a world-class batsman.  The third auctioneer is the evergreen Graeme Hawkins.

The sale kicks off on Wednesday at 11.30am and if buyers can identify the same quality of yearlings as the “Class of 2016” then they will be in with a real chance of making a decent profit on their investment.

Seven horses which have made racing headlines since being sold at this sale three years ago include Do It Again (R1.1m), Snowdance (R2m), Rainbow Bridge (R300,000), Surcharge (R200,000), Lady In Black (R1.1m), Fiorella (R700,000) and Folk Dance (R100,000).

The conclusion from this is that you can acquire a champion without digging too deep, but if two big buyers want the same yearling the price can rocket.

Of course, there are purchases in which the only winner is the vendor — in 2018 Ghaalla sold for R5m and has earned R400,000 and Matador Step went for R4m and has earned just R31,000.

The pick of Davis’s first 20 lots could be the Silvano colt, Namib Desert, who is the third produce of the seven-time winner, Welwitschia. The youngster has been consigned by Wilgerbosdrift Stud.

The second lot that Andrew Miller will be selling on Wednesday also hails from Wilgerbosdrift — a colt by ill-fated Soft Falling Rain out of the 2014/15 Equus Champion three-year-old filly Alboran Sea. Expect plenty of interest in this one.

Hawkins’s first session includes a full-brother to 2014 Vodacom Durban July winner Legislate, who is represented by five of his own offspring at the three-day sale.

The first yearling on Davis’s second session should prove popular as the colt is by another deceased champion sire Captain Al out of the grade 1 winner Covenant. Named Erik The Red, he has been consigned by Varsfontein Stud.

Towards the end of day one, Hawkins should be kept busy with a full-brother to grade 1 winner Nightingale and Rathmor Stud offering the only Frankel yearling on the sale — a well-named colt Juan Carlos.

The dam of the youngster is the Irish mare Queen Of Spain.